


Not So Bitter Reunions

by brunettachoppa687, TTICSY (phantomofthefandoms)



Series: The Things I Could Show You [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU, M/M, Underage - Freeform, Very AU, but not really, but what is legal for ghosts anyway, closer to legal, nothing happens till Danny is older
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-19 18:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3619896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brunettachoppa687/pseuds/brunettachoppa687, https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomofthefandoms/pseuds/TTICSY
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In a world where Vlad moved on and Danny's didn't have such a sweet sixteen, the reunion between the Masters and the Fenton's, wasn't so bitter..."</p>
<p>This au is centered around the idea that Vlad learned to let go of his anger and move on from his obsession with Maddie.  This made his offer to teach and train the young halfa, a much more honest and genuine offer.  Add to the fact Danny didn't get his ghost powers till he was sixteen, and you got yourself a whole new world of possibilities~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is an on going au, with multiple stories and chapters and it is still continuing. We also have a few outside aus, that will be included later on. The rating is likely to change, but we will give fair warning before hand~

_“BANZAI!!”_

_There had been a bright green flash, agonizing pain, and then the horrified faces of his old friend and his old crush, Jack and Maddie… and then a blur.  Years of hospital ceilings.  Needles.  Anger.  Plotting… and then the discovery of his ghost half.  Resignation.  Red eyes staring back at him…_

Vlad Masters blinked awake, eyes wide.

After a moment, the billionaire sighed and threw off his covers, getting up out of bed.  Tonight was the 20-year reunion of their college class, and here he was still having flashbacks; well, if there was a better time, he wasn’t sure when.  

Vlad bustled about his chambers, combing his hair back and securing it soundly, fitting one of his fine black suits to his frame; throughout the years, he hadn’t been incredibly keen on the idea of “Jack and Maddie Fenton,” especially since the lovely woman had been his college crush and they had married while he had still been hospitalized.  Afterwards, he had spent YEARS building his empire… and WATCHING them, with the intent of exacting his revenge.  In the city of Amity Park, the “Fentons” had started out as the eccentric couple down the block – a pregnant wife and a big, blundering husband.  Vlad had been spiteful at first of Jack’s ways, hissing at him through video screens that he didn’t deserve what he had…

But, then, Vlad began to notice a change in Maddie, herself.  The wickedly intelligent, beautiful woman was still there… but Jack had begun to change her.  Where in college she would have set him on the straight and narrow, she stopped trying.  She gave her credit and time to an incapable idiot, and while Vlad could appreciate her devotion to Jack, he simply failed to recognize the girl he fell in love with and gradually, it faded away… leaving him a shell of the man he used to be.  Their children were handsome, admittedly.  But… he just had no more reason to be interested in the little Fenton family.  

Billionaire genius Vlad Masters had bigger fish to fry. Like that GHOST BOY that seemed to be hanging around them.  

It was odd… like a newly formed spirit just getting used to its powers, but the child had potential.  He could see it from the tapes.  Most recently it was his VULTURES that ran into the white-haired boy; Vlad expected he would follow.

Vlad sighed and straightened his tie, then blinked, brows raised at the sound of a knock on his door.

*~*~*~*

"Are we there yet?"

Danny rolled his eyes.  He felt like that had been the third, if not the fourth, time his older sister Jazz had asked this question.  Sure, their parents had decided to take the scenic route, but that didn't mean she couldn't just grin and bare it like he did...

Danny Fenton was a sixteen year old high school student.  He had his fair share of problems, like bullies, overbearing teachers, and rowdy parents.  But on top of all that, he had to deal with what no other teenager ever should...

Ghost powers.

Danny sighed in exhaustion at just the thought.  He was FINALLY coming to terms with the fated accident and was even learning how to control his powers, using his skills to protect the city from the unseen.  But it was still tiring work, both physically AND emotionally.  He had no real help with this new part of his life, and no one ever thanked him for what he did.  Hell, the city called him a menace most of the time!  It's not like he wasn't out there risking his life or anything!

//This kind of thing just starts to wear on you over time…  It eats at your will and your sanity...// he thought bitterly.

He ran a hand through his longish black hair, baby blue eyes looking up at his bangs, realizing he was overdue for a trim.  He yelped as the RV screeched to a stop, nearly sending him flying forward and into the dash.  

"WE'RE HERE!" Jack yelled excitedly, pretty much jumping out of the RV.  Danny chuckled at his dads antics, following behind his parents and sister at a more sedate pace.  He looked up in awe at the Masters Manor, a freaking converted castle.  It was huge!  Even Jazz seemed amazed by the place.  And they were going to stay here?  Score!

He looked up when the large double doors opened at his dad's incessant knocking.  He blinked in curiosity at the tall, well dressed man that appeared before him.  

Vlad opened both doors, the breeze flowing past him and into his foyer -- white ponytail fluttering back around his shoulders as he peered out.  //Oh,// he thought to himself flatly.  //Speak of the devil...//

The billionaire tried to adopt an enthusiastic expression for his old friends turned acquaintances and threw the doors wide open.  "Ah, Jack and Maddie Fenton," he greeted, smiling at them.  "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"VLADDIE, MAH MAN!!" Jack crowed.

Vlad found himself squashed in a huge hug.  His expression went dull and more than a little irritated at the contact, but bore with it until Jack let go.  "Haha, there's that old Fenton enthusiasm," he commented with a smile, patting Jack's shoulder.  "Good to see you too, old chum.  And Maddie, you've never looked lovelier."

Maddie laughed and brushed off the compliment.  "Oh, stop it, Vlad~" she smiled at him.  

The white-haired man turned his not-much-more-than-politely-interested blue eyes into the children.  "And, who are these handsome youngsters?" he asked with a smile.

"I'm Jasmine, Mr. Masters!  You wouldn't believe how incredible it is to actually meet you!" Jazz enthused, shaking his hand.  The man was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiastic professionalism; brains where her father lacked them.  Admirable.  Good manners, too.

Then, Vlad turned his gaze down on the boy.

//Wow...//  Danny thought as he looked up at Vlad with wide eyes.  The guy was kinda an impressive figure.  He had an imposing stance, handsome face, and really fit body for someone his age.  He almost didn't seem human, especially with that white hair...

Danny blinked as he realized Vlad was turning to him, waiting for an introduction.  Danny rocked back on his heels a little, bright blue eyes looking up at Vlad.  He gave a sheepish smile, just a smidgen shy around a stranger.

"I'm Daniel, but please, call me Danny.  It's nice to meet you!"  He chuckled a little.  "Mom and Dad couldn't stop talking about you on the way up here, it's nice to put a face to the name."

His ego properly stroked, Vlad smiled down at young Daniel Fenton -- noticing with a quick examination that he looked remarkably like the ghost boy around the Fentons, but he didn't give it much thought.  Most ghosts could shape shift to a degree and a new spirit, if he had no concrete shape of his own, was likely to take a similar form to someone he saw often.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Daniel," Vlad replied in good humor.  He backed away, showing everyone in.  "Please, come in!"

Inside, a foyer of green and gold towered above their heads, flaunting a large portrait of the late Dairy King and thousands of dollars in Packers memorabilia.  Vlad laughed along with their jokes, smiled when he needed to, and tried to be a good host, eventually coming to his proposal for the Fentons to sleep over until the reunion was over with; the sooner they were rested, the sooner they would leave and he could get back to his ghost-related work. Maybe locating that Ghost Boy.  

...Speaking of which.  It was a long shot, but MAYBE...

All throughout Jack's ramblings, Vlad finally managed to show everyone to their rooms, his thoughts still going on their tangent.  //MAYBE... if the ghost child is a doppelganger of a sort, if I get Daniel alone it's more likely that he will show up!// Vlad thought to himself, giving Jack, Maddie, and Jazz rooms on the second floor.  //Very well...//

Finally, Vlad and Danny were alone -- ascending to the third floor and walking down the long hallway.  These were his nicer rooms.  The ones with big beds and spectral motion sensors.

They were also the ones closest to HIS room.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm putting you on a separate floor, Daniel," Vlad commented, breaking the silence.  "It's a problem, but I'm going through some renovations that the contractor told me would be done last week, so..."

Danny just shrugged.  "It's no big deal, I don't mind!"

Just then, Vlad opened the doors to Danny's chosen room, turning on the lights and walking in.  Danny's eyes widened.  The place was gorgeous!  A huge king sized bed with mounds of pillows and an old style canopy took up a good section of the room.  There was a large set of curtained windows to one side, as well as a vanity and mirror next to what looked to be a connected bathroom.  Everything was artfully and richly decorated, rooms fit for royalty.

"Wow!  This is amazing!  Now I REALLY don't mind!  Thanks, Mr. Masters!"

"Not at all," Vlad replied.  The boy was downright adorable when he smiled.

He was about to close the door when he suddenly opened it again.  "Oh!  Yes, and Daniel?" he called.  Those big blue eyes looked back at him.  "I wasn't joking about the Dairy King haunting these halls, but if you see him, don't panic.  He's actually a very nice gentleman.  He might talk to you if you're lucky!"

Vlad gave a little smirk to Danny and closed the door.  "Good night!"


	2. Chapter Two

Danny woke up with a start, cold breath escaping his lips in the form of a visible vapor.  He blinked, surprised.  "A ghost?  Here?"

He quickly got up from the bed and transformed, black hair going white and blue eyes flashing toxic green.  He faded through the floor and flew down; down down to the main level where he sensed another's presence.  He traced it to the kitchen, pausing in shock as he saw a strange little portly ghost of a king!  The same King whose portrait hung on the walls in the entrance hall!

//That's right, Vlad said something about the Dairy Kings ghost still being around...//

The ghost was happily munching on some cheese, only looking up when Danny came into the room.  "Oh, hello there kiddo!  What are you doing up so late, eh?"

Danny chuckled, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.  "AH, sorry, I actually sensed your presence earlier and came to check it out.  Sorry if I’m disturbing you?"

The king nodded, smiling.  "Got some keen senses there do ya?  Well, while you're up, care for some cheese?  It's dairy fresh!"

Danny laughed at the bad pun, accepting a slice of cheddar.  "Thanks, I guess a late night snack couldn't hurt."

They sat together in the kitchen, munching away on some cheese, before the King spoke up again.  "AH, I know you!" he declared.  “Plasmius talks about ye all the time, ey!”

Danny frowned, confused.  "’He’ talks about me?  Wait, who is HE??"

The king laughs.  "Oh, I'm sure you'll know soon enough!  He should seek ya out, don’tcha know?  Well, you better get a move on, all youngsters need some shut eye!"

With that, the ghost faded away, leaving Danny alone in the kitchen.  He frowned, confused, as he slowly made his way back to his room on the third floor.  "Strange..." he murmured to himself.  "Who is this Plasmius?  And how does he know about me?"

"Ahhhhh, I knew you would show up sooner or later~"

The boy spun at a voice directly behind him -- where a large, muscular ghost with blue skin, dark hair, and burning red eyes floated.  The bigger specter chuckled.  "Danny Phantom, right?" he sneered.  "Considering you practically center yourself around Danny FENTON, you probably should have picked something more original.  Tell me, child, how did you get here~?"

Danny floated back a good ways in shock, green eyes wide.  //Geez, this guy is huge!  And he looks really tough...  At least he's only talking for now...//

Danny narrowed his eyes and straightened his back, posture defensive.  "I don't see how that's any of your business!  And how do you know about the Fentons?  How did YOU get here?  Does Masters know you're here?!"

"HA!  You could say that."

Vlad grinned, baring sharp fangs down at the boy.  "You could also say... they're a kind of 'bait.'  For YOU, my boy.  Because I see potential in you~  And I hope to make something great of you..."

Danny visibly shivered, but from fear or something... More, he wasn't sure.  He scowled, fists clenched.  "Bait?" he demanded.  He floated up a bit, now even more upset due to the so called 'using' of his family.  "You can't just go around treating people like bait!"

Suddenly the boy flailed, expression unsure and tentative, and very much weirded out.  "And what do you mean my... Potential?  Have you been... Have you been WATCHING me?!"

"For quite a while, child.  I admit I was pleasantly surprised -- or rather, disappointed -- by your host family's ineptitude to fight ghosts.  However, even with minimal control of your powers and no formal training, you actually seem to be managing against the bugs and flies of OUR world..." Vlad purred.

Then, his expression grew sober.  "But soon, you will have more than bugs and flies to worry about, Phantom," he informed him.  "I don't want to lose a blooming flower like you when you try to fight a battle you can't win."

Danny floundered under the complements, stuttering a few times -- then pausing and scowling up at the big ghost.   "I'm not a child!" he snapped, definitely NOT pouting.

He floated back a ways down the hall again before landing, not feeling exactly threatened by this ghost, but not feeling safe enough to be too close to him either.  He eyed him warily.  

"What do you want with me?"

Danny’s brows furrowed in contemplation, sorting things out.  "You brought the Fentons here, hoping to lure me here too.  So obviously, you gotta want something.  Most of you guys do.  Skulker wants my pelt, for example.  So… What do YOU want?"

"Because I see potential.  I want an apprentice, and you have much to learn," Vlad replied, drifting forward to close the space between them.  His booted feet touched the ground and -- in a surprise twist -- leaned down to look in Danny's startled green eyes, bringing himself down to the boy's level.  "You are new to our ways, and I have experience, my child.  I can speak with you, train you, teach you everything that I know."

  
His red eyes glowed imploringly.  “Think of the things I could SHOW you.  The DOORS I could open for you…”

As Plasmius talked, Danny couldn't help but feel his wariness slipping away, a growing elation replacing it.  This ghost wanted to HELP him?  TEACH him??  Someone to help him learn and understand his powers, to guide him through this mess!  That's all Danny ever wanted!  Plasmius probably knew about the ghost zone too, maybe he could teach him about it as well!

An excited grin started to take over his face.  Finally, someone who could help!  Someone who could understand--!

Oh...

Danny's face suddenly fell, smile gone to be replaced by a sad, frustrated frown.  Even his hair seemed to flatten, looking like a sad pup with his ears down.  He sighed and looked down, shaking his head.

"That won't work..."

Plasmius's brows furrowed.  "And why not?" he asked, puzzled.

Danny hunched into himself a bit, arms rubbing at his shoulders like he was trying to hug himself.  "Didn't you hear from Skulker?  Or the others?  I'm sure it's spread throughout the ghost zone by know..."

He finally looked back up at Plasmius, green eyes sad and lost.  "I'm a halfa.  I'm half human..."

"A... !!"

Vlad's scarlet eyes went completely round, gears in his brain whirring a million miles an hour as everything repositioned itself and painted a completely new picture.  He was a... then Danny was...!  

All at once, Vlad smacked himself in the forehead.  "BUTTER BISCUITS, how could I have been so stupid?!" he snarled at himself, almost forgetting Daniel for a second.

Danny jumped in place, startled by the loud proclamation.  "Whoa, hey, you ok?"

Danny messed with a lock of white hair, a nervous reaction.  He was starting to feel like maybe he should leave.  The ghost knew he was a halfa now, there was no way he still wanted to help him...

"Um, sorry if that wasn't obvious, I thought all the ghosts knew at this point..."

He floated a little, ready to leave and quickly return to being Danny Fenton and, hopefully, actually get some sleep tonight.  Though he seriously doubted it...

"S-sorry to waste your time.  Look, maybe... Maybe I should just go..."

"Daniel, stop," Vlad ordered, dropping his raspy cover tone.

Danny froze, turning to look up at the large ghost with wide, terrified green eyes.

Vlad paused... then sighed.

A glowing black ring slashed across his torso, and separated into two separate circles, transforming his body as they went.  Dark hair transformed back to white.  Red eyes became blue.  Blue, bloodless skin regained its natural olive tint.  Vlad Plasmius disappeared.

And Vlad Masters looked up, hands on his hips.  "Well..." he growled to himself, rubbing his forehead.  "There you have it, Daniel..."


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see the great Vlad Masters loose his cool on the inside. Watch your ass Danny, Vlad's taking notice~

"Vlad?..."

In his shock, Danny automatically transformed back, returning to the human boy in pink pjs he had been but an hour ago.  He blinked up at Vlad, mouth slack in shock.  His body quivered in fear and excitement.  

//He's like me...  He's like ME!//

"How is this possible?!"

All fear had left Danny then and he quickly approached Vlad, looking up into his dark eyes with his own bright blue.  Danny was near shaking in elation, smile tugging at his mouth.  A shaking hand reached out, like he wanted to touch Vlad, prove he was real, but he held back.  In the back of his mind, Danny realized he might be suffering from shock, but he was too preoccupied to care.  

"I'm...  I'm not alone?..." he breathed, mainly speaking to himself.

Vlad felt like he should be having more of an emotional reaction to also finding out, after 20 years, he wasn't the only one of his kind.  "No..." he growled, still rubbing his forehead like he was fending off a migraine.  "No, you're not, Daniel... and frankly, I suppose this will hit me in full force later but right now, I feel like an ignorant SIMPLETON for not figuring this out before.  CHEESE logs, all the signs were THERE, I just read them WRONG!  Ugh..."

After a few more seconds of mentally berating himself, Vlad huffed, propped his hands on his hips again, glanced up -- and his eyes went a little round at the sight of Danny's overjoyed face, big blue eyes full of life and youth.

"...Yes?" Vlad asked, tripping a bit over his own tongue.

Danny didn't say anything.  Instead, he reached over and hugged Vlad around the middle, face pressed to his chest.  He held him like that for the longest time, just too happy to let go.  Finally, he pulled back, beaming up at Vlad happily.

"If you still wanna help me, I'd really like that!"

Danny, with a new kick in his step, hopped back and down the hall towards his room.  "I'll see you in the morning, right Mr. Masters?  Oh and um..."

He popped his head back out, smiling brightly.  "Thanks!"

With that, the door shut behind him, and for a moment Danny could only lean against it, biting his bottom lip.  Suddenly he jumped around excitedly, before belly flopping onto the bed, face buried in the pillows to stifle his happy yells.  He rolled over and snuggled into the blankets, looking out the window at the night sky with happy eyes.

Everything was going to change now, finally for the better.

~*~

  
Vlad blinked and stared after the sixteen-year-old's happy gait, a light tingling in the place where Danny's arms had squeezed him -- then turned around, slightly dazed, and walked back to his room.  There, he undressed and plopped into his bed, blinking dumbly up at his canopy and his brain whirling in circles until five in the morning.

Everything was about to change now... and for once, Vlad wasn't sure what the future would hold.

~*~

The next morning, Danny came bouncing down from the stairs to join his family at the breakfast table.  He was fully dressed, hair brushed and cheeks flushed a pale pink in glee, smile wide on his face.  His big blue eyes practically glittered in happiness.

"G’morning, Mom!  Morning, Dad!"

He practically skipped past his sister, pausing just a long enough to give Jazz a brief surprise hug.  "Morning Jazz!"

"Danny!" Jazz exclaimed in shock, watching him as he made his way to the seat opposite her and sat down.  "Jeez, what's gotten into you little bro?  I...  Wow, I don't think I've seen you this happy... Not in a while..."

Danny shrugged, still smiling.  "Had a good night’s sleep, I guess!"

A few minutes later, Vlad came down the stairs -- still in his plush red bathrobe, his pale hair a mess and his eyes looking absolutely hellish from exhaustion.  He meandered into the kitchen, yawning, and took the cup of coffee Jack handed him; never taking his tired eyes off Danny.  "Hey, V-man!  Sleep well?" the tall Fenton asked.

"Not in the slightest," Vlad replied bluntly, taking a deep drink of coffee.  "I couldn't shut my mind off."

“Ahhh, the fond memories of our college days!” Jack announced, grinning.  “I can see why you would never want to stop reliving those!  But hey, Danny had a good night’s rest!  Maybe he’ll rub off on ya!”

Vlad scowled into his mug.  “Sure…”

Danny perked up when he saw Vlad, smiling all the wider.  "Good morning Mr. Masters!"

His smile slipped into a slightly sheepish yet worried grin.  "Sorry you didn't sleep well..."

Jazz watched Danny as he watched Vlad, watching how her brother smiled at him and greeted him, acting so freaking happy in this man’s presence.  While Jazz was all for her brother FINALLY getting some happiness back into his life, avoiding that hole of depression she had seen him stumbling towards, she was a little confused...

//What the heck?...//

She brushed it off for now, choosing to focus back on her breakfast, but she couldn't help but comment one last time on Danny's sudden new found happiness.  "Well, I'm for one glad to see you SMILING again,” the redhead told him.  “I don't think I've seen you smile like that in MONTHS.  Seriously Danny, I was starting to get worried about you..."

Danny frowned at Jazz's comment, brows furrowed.  His frown softened when he saw her expression, and knew how serious she was.  He nodded slightly, his small smile returning as he slowly started to butter a piece of toast.

"Yeah..." he said softly.  "Me too..."

Vlad woke up a little at that, staring at Danny from across the room.  This was news... but it didn't surprise him, and that's what made his heart sting.  For all the years he had been in the hospital, he would acute at least one -- if not more -- of them to his own spiral of depression that he, as a college boy, had descended into.  The only one of his kind with no family or otherwise... it would have been one thing if Danny had no family, but when you had to hide something of this magnitude, it had to cause just as much stress.  Vlad felt Danny's old pain as if it were his own.

Walking over to Danny, Vlad placed a hand on his back -- coffee cup in hand and a tired smile on his face.  "Glad you slept well, son."

Daniel blinked... then smiled up at him.  Vlad blinked again at the odd tingling and happiness he felt at that smile...

And then, all at once, something occurred to him that had eluded him all night long.

Vlad internally reeled, resisting the urge to drop his coffee mug and wrap Danny up in a crushing embrace; just to make sure he was REAL!  Another halfa!!  Another person like him!!  After twenty years, someone he could be fully himself with.  Someone who would understand, and listen to him, and...!

...Someone... who would stop aging...

Vlad's adult mind flashed through dozens of scenarios, and he gauged them all individually, each one sending his thoughts spiraling deeper into taboo territory -- and the half-ghost was surprisingly okay with them all.  Boy?  No problem.  Danny was a good-looking boy, and well-built to boot.  MUCH younger boy?  Questionable, but no issue once Danny became of age.  He wasn't of age, though?  The only other halfa in the world as he knew it, hell no, he didn't care!  Flirting would be WORTH it.  His old college friend's son?  ...Strangely taboo.  That was a turn on.  Innocent and beautiful...?

Vlad soundly ignored the little voice that called him a sick old man and smiled back down at Danny.  

This whole train of thought had taken place in no more than a few seconds; the man patted Danny on the back and moved away, taking another sip of his coffee.  "Well, I'm going to go get ready and do a bit of paperwork," Vlad announced to the Fenton family, placing his empty mug on the tray of a passing maid.  "I will see you all at the reunion tonight!"

//And hopefully get Daniel alone for a bit of quality time~// Vlad thought to himself, with a tiny devious smirk.

Danny watched Vlad go with a happy grin, heart trying to beat out of his chest from the feel of his hand on his shoulder and his smile directed at him.  Honestly, his mind was still reeling with the revelations of last night...

//Another halfa.  Someone older, more experiences, willing to teach me...//

A soft smile crossed his lips, cheeks a rosy pink as his eyes went back down to his plate.

//I'm not alone anymore...//


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we actually make it to the reunion! Time for some fun~

//I am bored out of my mind.//

During the day Danny had been able to occupy himself with exploring the manor and going through the books in Vlad's library.  He had even had the chance to take a nap that afternoon and it had felt GLORIOUS.  But now, with the reunion in full swing, he was absolutely miserable.  His mom had insisted he had to attend and had even stuffed him into a suit for the occasion.  He didn't know WHY, this thing didn't seem like THAT big a deal.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he watched the crowd dance to old music... very badly.  He sipped at his punch and nibbled at the snacks on his plate.  He smiled a bit at the thought of the Dairy King for a bit, wondering if he might be around...

Danny huffed, head falling into his arms on the table he sat at, just barely muffling his groans.

A hand touched his shoulder.

"You look glum, Daniel~" Vlad chuckled, settling into the chair beside him, folding his arms, and smiling down at the younger man with a touch of deviousness.  "The 'old fossils' getting you down?"

"Mr. Masters!"  Danny exclaimed in happy surprise.  He chuckled, shaking his head.  "No no, it's not that!  I guess I was just getting a little bored?  I'm mean, not a whole lot for me to do at one of these things..."

Danny couldn't help but smile happily in the man’s presence.  He pushed his overloaded plate of snacks in Vlad's direction.  "Um, want some cheese?  And, shouldn't you be playing host or something?  I don't want to distract you or anything..."

Vlad laughed.  "I bet half of these people don't even know whose house this is," he replied, smirking.  "In fact, I will bet you ten dollars that most of them think some old dean of ours rented this place.  I think I'm safe.  I've never really been much at parties anyway; being rich is a lot of just smiling at the cameras."

He took a piece of white cheese and nibbled on it.  "Mm.  I love brie.  Have you tried it yet?" he smiled.

Danny shook his head, inexplicably dazed by the man’s voice and eyes.  

Taking another slice of it, Vlad offered the brie to Danny -- slyly presenting it at such a level where the boy had a choice on whether to actually take it from him with his fingers or with his teeth.  Danny jumped a little bit when the cheese was presented in front of him, surprising him.  But before he could think about it, the boy had leaned over and quickly took the bite into his mouth, not really thinking about the implications of such a move.

Vlad blinked when Danny’s lips touched his fingers.  

...He hadn’t ACTUALLY expected him to take it like that.

Then, once Danny had pulled back, a slightly dark smirk spread over the man’s face.  Vlad quickly replaced it with his polite smile from before, his inner villain cackling triumphantly.  Best college reunion EVER.

The naive boy chewed on the cheese thoughtfully, eyes widening slightly before smiling.  "Oh!  It's sweet!"

Vlad reached over, fingers lingering on Danny's soft mouth as he pretended to brush away a crumb of something with his thumb.  "Mm hm, it takes you by surprise, doesn't it~?" he smiled.

He pulled his hands back and interlaced his fingers, placing them in his lap.  "So, tell me about yourself, Daniel," Vlad practically purred.  "I'm very curious about you."

Danny blinked.  "Oh!  Um, well... I don't really have many hobbies.  I mean, the ghost thing kinda took over my life...  But I do well enough in school!  I like to read and well..."

** **

Danny scratched the back of his neck, face flushed in embarrassment.  He really didn't know what to say.  What do you say about yourself to a guy like VLAD??  "Well, I really like space!  Like, the stars and stuff.  I like science and, well, I kinda want to be an astronaut one day.  If not that, I'd like to be an astrologer."

Danny squirmed a little in his chair.  "What um... What about you?  How did you become, you know..."

The ghost boy's eyes widened in slight horror at what he said, hand coming up to cover his mouth a little.  "Oh gosh I'm sorry!  You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!  I mean, I'll tell you how it happened for me but--I--uh..."

Danny trailed off, clamping his lips together to stop the verbal waterfall.

Vlad had to mentally restrain himself from touching a finger to Danny’s mouth -- it was too much too soon -- and settled for laughing and patting the boy's shoulder.  "It's perfectly all right, Daniel~" he replied.  "If I'm going to teach you how to use your powers we're going to have to be open with one another, right?"

He squeezed Danny's shoulder, letting his thumb rub a little into the fabric.  "And please, call me Vlad~" the man smiled.  "Okay?"

Danny didn't know it, but his face was now cherry red.  His shoulder felt warm under Vlad's hand.  He nodded, a little dazed but happy smile on his lips.

"Y-yeah, ok...  Vlad..."

Vlad -- AGAIN -- had to physically restrain himself from doing something less than appropriate.  WHY did they have to be in a public place right now...?

Resigning himself to a slightly wicked smile in return, Vlad braced his forearms on the table, eyes flicking around before he beckoned Danny closer; there was no one else in earshot, but he really didn't want anyone else to hear this conversation.

"I'm sure your father told you about how I ended up in the hospital," Vlad murmured, for only Danny to hear.  "An experiment gone wrong... well, we happened to be the only three people in our paranormal club at school.  I, unfortunately, wasn't there initially because I was INTERESTED.  I used to have a crush on your mother -- LONG story, it's just as well she ended up with your father, but I thought you might need to know in case anything comes up.  Either way, we had engineered a prototype of the ghost portal.  But the first trials didn't... go so well."

Vlad leaned a little closer, voice fading to a whisper.  "Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as to have an instantaneous transformation from the blast.  It was too small to transform all my DNA at once, but it was enough to give me a rare type of ectoplasm-based exodermis cancer -- “ecto-acne” for the plebeians -- from the imbalance.  It took years, and it was painful, but eventually my body regained its chemistry and I was deemed "healthy"... but as you might assume, I wasn't entirely human anymore."

Danny had paled slightly during the explanation, looking a bit horrified.  "Oh my gosh Vlad, that sounds horrible!  I'm so sorry..."

Danny ducked his head, biting his lip a bit before speaking, voice low.  "About six months ago, mom and dad finished constructing a large, human sized ghost portal.  At first it wasn't working, and they got frustrated with it and abandoned it for a bit.  My friends had been over for my birthday party and we were just joking around..."  

Here Danny huffed and rolled his eyes, exasperated.  "Anyway, my friends dared me to take a look inside.  I put on a suit and walked in and... Well...  I'm not quite sure what I touched, but I somehow fixed the portal…  And it turned on..."

He shivered here, going very pale.  "It was like having your skin ripped off, hot lava poured down your throat and into your very veins, then being sewn back together...  I know it only lasted a few seconds, and then my friends got me out of there but..."

He looked up at Vlad then with big blue eyes.  "It felt like longer..."

Vlad listened to Danny with wide eyes.  His body chemistry had been shredded and pieced back together... all the agony his body took YEARS to go through, compacted into SECONDS...

The man couldn't stop himself from hugging Danny to his chest.  "Oh, badger..." he murmured in sympathy.  "I'm so sorry..."

Danny hid his face from the room as he tried to get himself back under control.  The incident had been months ago, but it was still so fresh in his mind, wracking his body in tremors and bringing tears to his eyes.  He let Vlad hold him for a little longer, taking comfort from the man.

Vlad knew what he was going through, what he HAD gone through.  He understood…

Then, all at once, Danny realized what he was doing.

Blushing bright crimson, Danny pulled back, swiping at his eye quickly and backing away from Vlad.  He gave an awkward chuckle -- still red as a steamed lobster.  "Thanks...  uh, I needed that… but, um..."

Danny stood up clumsily, almost falling back into Vlad's chest.  He gave Vlad a quick smile as he moved away from the table.  "Sorry, I'll be right back, okay?  I'm just gonna go, uh, wash up real quick!"

With that Danny made a hasty exit, headed for the closest restroom.  He found a large bathroom just down the hall a good bit away from the ballroom and ducked inside.  He quickly went to the sink and splashed some cold water on his face, sighing a bit as he relaxed.

"You're okay, Danny...  Everything's fine..."

~*~

Back in the ballroom, Vlad sat patiently, waiting for his little badger to get back... when suddenly, a pale red mist left his mouth.  

Vlad's eyes flashed red, glaring in the direction of the bathroom.

To anyone watching, their host was there one moment and gone the next.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop, there he is. You knew he was showing up at some point.

"Tears, WELP?" came an all-too-familiar, dark voice.  "But I haven't even given you a reason to cry yet~"

Danny flipped around, eyes wide.  When he saw the large mecha ghost before him, he balked.  "Skulker?!"

Danny quickly dodged the net aimed for him, transforming quickly in order to faze out of Skulkers grasp.  He barely avoided the next punch, causing him to hit the sink behind him with a groan, slowing him down.  He glared up at Skulkers malicious smirk.

"What are you doing here Skulker?!"

"Where my prey goes, I follow," Skulker hissed, his steel teeth flashing in the light.  He towered over Danny -- his wrist ray pointed between the boy's eyes.  "And where do I find it but -"

"PARDON me."

Skulker blinked.  "Huh?"

The mechanical ghost turned to look at Vlad, who stood in the threshold of the bathroom, arms crossed and his expression thunderous.  "DO refrain yourself from destroying my PROPERTY, you incompatible USB drive, or I will personally wire your head where it will never see the light of day again," the billionaire hissed, red eyes glowing.  "And I'm not TALKING about my sink."

Danny gasped, glowing green eyes going impossibly wide.  "P-Plasmius!"

Danny flushed slightly, a soft jade color against lily white skin.  Vlad had come for him, to help him, to SAVE him.  It was always Danny who saved people, who helped people, no one ever bothered to save HIM.

Whoa, was he swooning here?  No way, absolutely not.  He was definitely NOT swooning...

Vlad's burning red eyes flicked to Danny, his fanged mouth smiling reassuringly at the pale jade blush he spotted on the boy's face.  It had to be a crime to be that adorable...

Skulker snarled at Vlad.  "You dare come between the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter and his prey?!" the ghost barked.

He lunged at the other ghost with a roar...!

SLAM!

Vlad's hand came up, effortlessly closing around Skulker's wrist and stopping the punch cold.  His crimson eyes narrowed... and slowly... turned... to face him.  "'YOUR prey'..." Vlad repeated in a freezing whisper.  "How dare you..."

Skulker's eyes widened.

Danny's jaw dropped with a slight gasp as he watched Vlad stop Skulkers attack with just ONE HAND!  Vlad had to be super strong and powerful to do THAT so easily!  He watched with wide eyes as Vlad spoke to Skulker in a low, growling voice, a shiver running down his spine from the sound.

//Wow....//

Vlad glanced at Danny.  Those bright green eyes were staring back at him in awe...

A beat passed... then Plasmius grinned, baring his sharp fangs at Skulker.  It wouldn't hurt to show off a little bit for his little badger, would it?  "Well, I suppose your timing was actually perfect, you hunk of junk!" Vlad smirked.  "I'm going to use YOU to show Daniel a few things~"

With a quick twist of the wrist, Skulker's arm broke off in a shower of parts and sparks.  The bigger ghost howled in rage and retreated across the bathroom; Vlad tossed the severed limb in his hand, which was heavy enough for a strong, fully grown man to have trouble PICKING UP, and he had ripped it like tissue paper.  "You've mastered various year-one techniques, such as the ectoplasmic energy blast and shields," Vlad commented casually, like he hadn't just torn an eight-foot-tall robotic behemoth's ARM off.

He tossed it, then gripped it by the wrist.  "And while those are versatile, you have to realize.  Your ghost body is DIFFERENT," Vlad smiled at Danny.

He swung it like a baseball bat.  "Humans are limited by things like their muscle capacity, but we're made of something else~" he grinned.  "Stop wondering 'can I hold this?'  Think 'that is going to be light. I am going to DESTROY this~'"

Danny nodded rapidly, awe and excitement filling his gaze.  It was so cool to see what Vlad was capable of, to see what HE could be capable of!  A little breathless gasp escaped him as Vlad showed off his unlimited strength, tossing that hundred pound piece of tech around like it weighed no more than a stick.  

//He's amazing!//

He saw Skulker move again in the corner of his eye and quickly moved out of the way, perching himself on top of the sink as the mecha ghost bulldozed past.  Vlad swung the arm straight into Skulker, smacking him back across the room.  He held back so the huge ghost wouldn't go smashing through his wall, but the CRASH that went up was incredible.

"And while this one is tricky..."

Skulker struggled to his feet, sparks jumping from his many mechanical injuries.

Vlad's eyes narrowed.  "It's my FAVORITE," he smirked.

And in a flash of white light, another Plasmius popped into existence behind Skulker.  Vlad #1 watched wryly as Vlad #2 ripped off the ghost's other arm and started beating him with it.  "WHAT THE -- OW!  OUCH!  OUCH!!" Skulker yelped, wriggling on the tiles like a worm.

Danny’s grin was blinding.  "We can make CLONES??” he exclaimed, face lighting up.  “That's so COOL!"

Danny watched happily as Vlad pretty much beat Skulker into a pulp, pleased to see the hunter ghost finally get what was coming to him.  Danny curled his knees to his chest, wriggling a little in his spot to watch, a pleased little purr in his chest.  He wasn't sure what that pure elation he felt was, but he liked it...

He liked Vlad...  He REALLY liked Vlad....

His eyes blinked, shocked.  //Huh, guess that's something I'll need to look more closely at later...//

His thoughts were interrupted by Vlad LITERALLY kicking Skulker’s ass.  He grinned at the other halfa.

"You're amazing, Vlad!”

Vlad stared at Danny, red eyes blinking.  He'd never been told that before...

A beat passed... and then, Vlad smiled softly and made his way over to Danny, letting his clone do the beating work for him as he gently lay a hand on the boy's soft, pale hair.  "I will show you all this and more..." Vlad whispered softly, running his fingers through Danny's hair -- and cautiously cupped his cheek.  "You will learn how to do things beyond your wildest dreams, and all I ask of you is that you listen and give me your time.  Give me your best, and I will give you mine."

His fangs gleamed behind his full mouth.  "Is that agreeable to you?  ...DANNY?" he murmured.

Danny trembled as that deep voice washed over him.  He flushed a little brighter, cheeks a bright jade green under Vlad's hand.  He leaned into the mans touch, never before having felt such a gentle touch in the form.  All this form knew was pain...

There was that purr of pure bliss again...

Danny shoved that thought away and smiled sweetly up at Vlad, nodding in agreement.  "That... That sounds perfect!"

After a tick, a smile fell just slightly.  "I wanna be here, with you, as much as possible.  I feel good here!  And I want to learn from you and talk with you and--!"

He cut himself off, suddenly paling and his eyes going wide.  "But, uh, what do we tell my parents?” he asked.  “They don't know anything about this!  What should we do?"

Vlad smiled.  "Don't worry, I have it ALL covered~"

** **

BANG!  "HELP!" Skulker cried.


	6. Chapter Six

THREE WEEKS LATER...

Moving trucks roared up the driveway of Amity Villas, the most posh and plush neighborhood in the city for the richest movers and shakers of the area.  Word had spread around that billionaire Vlad Masters had been planning to move in for weeks now, and Danny, Sam, and Tucker weren't the only ones sitting on a lawn in the fancy neighborhood hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous man amongst the movers and countless boxes.

"So, you're serious?!" Sam exclaimed in a hushed voice.  "THE Vlad Masters is a half-ghost, just like you, and he moved here especially for YOU, and you're gonna be TUTORED by him?!"

"Dude, get all the milkshakes the maids will GET you," Tucker grinned.

Danny nodded, eyes not straying once from the moving vans or the front of the manor.  "Yeah~!” he exclaimed, internally wriggling in excitement. “He's really amazing, guys!  We talked the whole weekend I was up there, talking about both our interests and issues we've had with our ghost powers.  Look, I've already learned how to morph plasma!"

Danny glanced around, making sure no one was looking, before making a tiny green plasma star.  It faded quickly and he chuckled.  "I'm still learning.  You guys should SEE all the things HE can do!  I mean, when he beat up Skulker for me--"

"Whoa whoa, he beat up SKULKER?"  Tucker squealed.  Danny nodded, practically bouncing.  "Yeah!  Skulker came to catch me and Vlad like, totally kicked his ass cause the guy even TRIED!  He didn't even break a sweat!"

Danny turned to look back at the manor, a slight blush on his cheeks and soft smile on his lips.  "He's amazing..."

Tucker laughed.  "Haha!  If I didn't know any different I'd say you had a crush on the guy!"

Danny turned, snorting, mouth open to vehemently deny.

He froze.  

Oh no.  

Oh no no no no...

His eyes were wide and his mouth was still open, but now in shock.  He blinked rapidly, blush now cherry red on his cheeks.  

"Oh NO!"

Sam blinked.  "Wait... you're not seriously SAYING...?"

Tucker's eyes bugged.  "DUDE, really??"

Danny's head fell into his heads with a groan.  "Awwww CRAP..."

He finally looked up at his friends, blush still there and looking slightly shaken.  "I enjoy his company, he makes me feel safe, he understands me, he... He's really strong and powerful and... HANDSOME and... and he... He protected me...  I..."

Danny laughed a little maniacally here, completely surprised, but a hundred percent confident in his answer.  "I do!  I DO have a crush on him!"

Behind them, an invisible Vlad stood stock still for a long moment.

...Then, a positively wicked grin spread across his mouth.  Smiling to himself, the man sauntered away behind a building, returned to the visible spectrum, and walked up behind them again.  "Daniel!" Vlad greeted, hands in his pockets.  "Wonderful to see you!  I missed you."

He glanced at Sam and Tucker.  "And who is this beautiful young lady and gentleman?" he asked, taking Sam's hand and kissing her fingertips lightly.   "Friends, I assume~?" he purred.

Then Vlad placed a strong hand on Danny's shoulder -- a friendly gesture to an onlooker, but warm ectoplasmic sparks snapped around the contact.

Danny jumped a bit, blinking in surprise at the strange shock he felt from Vlad's touch.  He brushed it off, instead smiling up at Vlad happily, cheeks still flushed.  "I missed you, too!"

Danny gestured towards his friends, naming them in turn.  "These are my friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley."

He leaned closer to Vlad and lowered his voice so no one else would hear.  "They know about the... You know..."  

He did a little wiggle of his fingers to demonstrate.  Tucker laughed at him.

"Dude, jazz hands really don't fit your situation!"

Danny pouted at his laughing friends, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at them.  He unknowingly pressed closer into Vlad's side, seeking his warmth and the reassurance of his presence.

Vlad squeezed Danny into his side, going along with the motion eagerly, and smiled slyly at the boy's friends.  "Excellent~" he commented.  "You told them about us.  I suppose I don't have to tell you to be careful; it's sensitive information."

Draping his arm over Danny's shoulders -- still keeping the teen pressed into his side -- Vlad glanced down at him.  "You wouldn't mind if I steal him away for a few minutes, would you?  Miss Manson, Mr Foley?"

"Uh no, no problem at all I guess..."

Barely had the words escaped Sam's mouth before Vlad was leading Danny away and towards the manor.  Danny looked on in awe as the entered the place.  It wasn't like the castle, but it was still pretty awesome, and very much suited Vlad.  Danny grinned.

"Wow.... This place is really nice!"

"I'm glad you like it!  You'll be spending a lot of time here," Vlad replied, leading him into a library.  Most of the items had been moved into the large room already, so there were no other people around as the taller man led Danny between the shelves.  

"Since we're keeping up with the 'tutor' charade... although it's not ACTUALLY a charade," Vlad said as they walked, "I WILL be hiring a few tutors to help you with your classes.  I also have my study just off of the library, so if you need me I will be nearby.  Do try to keep ghost battles away from the house, though.  Replacing furniture costs money.  But as for our PRIVATE tutoring sessions..."

The older halfa paused in front of the fireplace, double checked to make sure no one was around, and gripped a football installment on the mantle.  

"I had THIS installed," Vlad said, and pulled it down like a lever.

As Danny watched, the mantle split in half, gliding back on rails to reveal a long staircase.  Vlad waved him in -- and after a second, he entered, staring around in awe as the mantle shut behind them and they descended into a dark fuchsia glow.  At the bottom, an archway beckoned.

They emerged into a huge, high-ceilinged lab -- not completely unlike the Fenton's but in so much better shape.  No stray wires, screws, or unfinished devices lying on the floor.  No mysterious ecto-stains on the walls.  The floor was clear, big, and spacious, almost like it was made for sparring, and all the glassware and instruments looked like something out of a sci-fi movie -- topped with its own Ghost Portal installed in the far wall.

"This is my own ghost lab," Vlad informed Danny, smiling at the look on his face.  "This is where we will have most of our sessions, including lots of 'field trips' into the Ghost Zone.  Beats afternoon math, hm~?"

Danny walked to the center of the lab and turned around in a full circle, trying to take it all in.  It was absolutely awesome!  Danny couldn't believe that Vlad had done all this!  The man just kept surprising him at every turn.  Seeking him out, wanting to help him, to teach him, actually PROTECTING him and just, just being there!  It was all so… so AMAZING!

Another second passed with Danny looking around at the lab, before he suddenly turned and ran at Vlad, tackling him in a hug.  His face was pressed into the man’s broad chest and his arms barely wrapped around his middle.  His face was flushed scarlet and he was trembling slightly, in excitement, nervousness, and happiness.

"It's perfect!  I love it here!"

Danny pulled back, looking up at him with big, baby blue eyes and beaming smile.  "Thank you!  For everything!"

Danny ran further into the lab, checking everything out.  This, on top of the rest of the manor, completely blew his mind.  He whirled, not sure which device or book to look at first, laughing happily.

"I never want to leave!"

Vlad leaned against the wall, a slow smile curving over his mouth.  //Oh, if I have MY way...// he thought to himself, //in a few years...//

His eyes wandered up and down Danny's form.  //After I have shaped your mind, your skills, and your very body...//

Vlad's eyes burned a low, smoldering red.  //I hope you never will...//

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, Danny has a crush now, isn't he cute? End Part One, Part Two will be up soon!


End file.
